Judge dismisses lawsuit against Minneapolis 2040 plan

Minneapolis' 20-year plan to allow more variety of housing in its neighborhoods can move forward without the city conducting an environmental impact study.

Hennepin County District Judge Joseph Klein dismissed a lawsuit this week that alleged the 2040 Comprehensive Plan could harm the environment.

The lawsuit, brought by a coalition of local groups, attempted to halt the plan while the city commissions a review on how it would affect Minnesota's natural resources.

Klein ruled this week that the law didn't require the city to conduct a review before it approved the plan last December, ruling there isn't evidence to support claims that the plan poses a serious threat to the environment.

The Minneapolis City Council passed the 2040 plan last year by a 12-1 vote amid a contentious debate, making it the first major city to take action to eliminate single-family zoning.

In 2011, Sean Pugh was arrested for allegedly violating terms of his release from prison. A year and a half into his roughly two-year stay in the Brown County Jail, he realized he owed the county around $17,000 — the result of a $20 daily "pay-to-stay" fee plus fees from previous jail stints.